


Overgrown

by WickedRitual



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Body Horror, Choking, Coughing, Crying, Existential Crisis, Fluff and Angst, Hope, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Medical, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:22:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27240397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WickedRitual/pseuds/WickedRitual
Summary: Once a happy bubbly plant mutant, Dr. Bushroot is now a shadow of his former self as he races against the clock to stop himself from becoming overgrown by plants.
Relationships: Reginald Bushroot/Liquidator
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	Overgrown

**Author's Note:**

> Just my interpretation as to why Bushroot 2017 is nothing like his 1991 counterpart.

The Liquidator considered himself lucky to be an entirely liquid being as he was sucked into the Ramrod and spat into his true dimension.

He splashed onto the floor, droplets of water scattered across the room of the office. He quickly pulled himself together, all the water that has soaked the room was sucked back, reforming the dog-like structure of his body.

It startled him when Megavolt suddenly collided with his newly reformed self, once again scattering his molecules.

Megavolt was in rough shape, his nose was bent out of place and arms seemed a little twisted, they were pretty scrawny and dangly before, but even the Liquidator could see that arms shouldn’t bend like that.

He helped Megavolt gain his bearings, sitting him up on the floor where the rat removed his cracked goggles. There was a red line around his eyes where they once sat, he looked dejectedly at them.

“these were my favorite pair…”

Before either of them could appreciate the lightened mood Quackerjack was lobbed at them from the mouth of the portal. Flying towards them with a cheerful “weeeeee"

The Liquidator was able to avoid another crash by opening his chest wide enough that Quackerjack would fly right through him.

The jester made multiple strange honks and boings as he landed, skipping like a flat stone on water until coming to a sliding halt. His eye was black and lip a little swollen, but you’d never guess he was injured by the way he smiled.

“Let’s go again!” he jumped up, his oversized shoes squeaking like a chew toy under his feet.

Megavolt stood up next, adjusting his helmet. “No way were going back. That place was a mess! Even without our help!”

Liquidator was anticipating Bushroots arrival, which is why he was able to catch the plant duck before he made a face plant with the floor. Bushroot fell into him like a diver jumping into a pool.

“Welcome back to dimension 91 Bushroot!” The Liquidator sounded like an overly zealous Walmart greeter “take a load off, enjoy your stay!” the water dog said as he backed away, leaving the plant mutant behind to stand on his own two feet.

Bushroots knees wobbled as he stood there feeling heavy. He rubbed his forehead trying to sooth the pulsing headache the unorthodox form of travel left him with.

“Neato magic trick Bushy!” the clowns squeaking shoes approached “you’ve made your whole arm vanish without a trace! I usually need sodium hydroxide for a trick like that" the clown manically laughed

Bushroot silently jumped back upon seeing his left arm was missing. The sight was so startling he tripped over his own misplaced footing, tumbling down.

Liquidators attempt to catch him was thwarted by Bushroots own misguided attempts at self preservation.

He swung his intact arm at the Liquidator, breaking the flow of water that would have stopped him from hitting the ground. He hissed at his mistaken attacker, a large vine ripping up from the floor, piercing the Liquidators watery figure through his chest.

A kill shot for anyone who wasn’t sentient water. The gesture and the electrician took a large step back.

The fog in Bushroots mind began to clear, he began to recognize the patterns around him, the shapes and colours that made up his friends, he was confused just how he could have forgotten such essential things But knew it hadn’t been the first time nor would it be the last.

The Liquidator quickly morphed himself off of the vines lethal spike, but Bushroot had already seen the danger his confusion had caused.

“No need to fret my plant based companion! I am 100% stab proof or your money back!”

Bushroots already wilting petals seemed to be going a little limper as the guilt of his actions began to cloud his mind.

“Hey we’ve all been through a lot today" Megavolt said in a comforting tone, recognizing Bushroots delicate mental state.

“A literal portal to another dimension!” QuackerJack piped up, practically vibrating where he stood still adrenalized by it all.

“We all need to recharge our batteries” Megavolt say up against a wall, plugging himself into an outlet. He felt a tingle of electricity, making his fur stick out like static. “that’s the stuff"

The Liquidator helped Bushroot off the floor. He stretched his watery arm across the room scooping up an old mug from a desk. “have some fresh mountain spring water to revitalized your body!” he poured some water off himself and into the cup.

Bushroot accepted the offering, tipping the water into his beak as he drank the cool liquid. It did make him feel physically stronger, but his grasp on reality was still strained.

Bushroot suddenly dropped the ceramic mug, it shattered across the floor as the botanist began to have a coughing fit.

The Liquidator frowned with sympathy putting his watery hand on the plants back, providing what comfort he could as the coughing continued to get worse.

Bushroot covered his mouth with his remaining hand as he retched, he could feel his airwaves were being obstructed. Tears gathered in his eyes as he tried to breath, desperately trying to cough up what was choking him.

Megavolt was standing again, not remembering the last time Bushroot coughed so badly. “should we try the Heimlich maneuver?!”

Even Quackerjack was frowning, eyes filled with fearful sorrow as he hopelessly watched their friend choke.

The foreign object dislodged before further action could be taken. A fully intact flower laid in Bushroots hand. The scientist breathed in deeply, crushing the flower in his palm as he stood up and quickly marched out of the room.

The remaining three stood there for a moment as they processed what was going on.

“Has he ever coughed up flowers before?" Megavolt broke the silence.

The Liquidator frowned “5 out of 5 doctors agree his health is on the decline"

-

Bushroot stormed through the halls of the abandoned building the four resided in. He was angry, angry he had made his friends worry, angry that he was such a burden, angry at his mutant biology that was slowly killing him.

Bushroot arrived in an office he called his own, walking into the room he caused vines to obstruct the door in case he had followers.

He went to the back of the room where his current experiments were taking place, it was a cluttered mess of an area. Bushroot tended to get disorganized the more lost his theories became.

He was truly stuck, needing to start from scratch but without the luxury of time on his hands.

Bushroot walked over to a portable ex-ray machine he and his friends has stolen for his scientific use. It was still powered up from prior use.

The scientist held the camera away from his neck as the radiograph was taken and appeared on a computer screen to his side.

There were many radiographs hung up on the walls, telling a very disturbing story of a man overgrown with plants.

He examined the most recent x-ray image, showing his esophagus flourishing with flower buds.

Bushroot stared at the imagine for a while, his leafy hand running over his throat at he considered the rut he was trapped in.

He looked up at the first x-ray hed taken of himself. Mostly duck with a few plant like features.

In contrast with his most recent image, he began to succumb to cruel reality. He wouldn’t be himself much longer.

Bushroot felt his chest tighten, tears flowed from his eyes, they kept coming no matter how much he tried to wipe them away.

“Reggie?”

Bushroot was angered by the intrusion, but his sorrow was too strong to ask the Liquidator to leave.

The water dog flowed up to him, wrapping his arms around Bushroot who began sobbing harder when comforted.

The Liquidator stayed silent, just being there when Reggie needed him. He ran his watery fingers across Bushroots dull purple petals.

He looked up at the wall, the conclusion was clear but the Liquidator would never give up hope. He would be strong for Bushroot, he would be there for him until his very last moment, whenever that may be.

“Let the Liquidator take those tears away” He wiped Bushroot’s tears from his eyes adding them to the water he was made of.

“Sorry" the sound was so quiet the Liquidator almost missed it. “I can’t fix this" the duck rasped out, the struggle to say anything at all was clear in his voice.

The Liquidator hadn’t heard Reggie’s voice in a few weeks, he found the sound of the botanists lisp comforting, a reminder of their best years. He knew it was a small victory, but after so much loss he would treasure it.

“False advertising is illegal under the federal competition act" the Liquidator smiled at Reggie. “Dr.Bushroot has been voted St. Canards #1 botanist for 28 years running! Four of four criminals agree he can do it!”

Bushroot smiled meekly, the Liquidator was good at making him feel better even if a part of him was still mourning his own end.

“Thank you" Bushroot whispered. He leaned up to plant a kiss on Bud Floods lips. The salesman formed a tail out of water just so he could wag it.

Their love had taken a backseat to Bushroots condition, dating time was best spent focused on slowing the growth rate if the vines that were overtaking the scientists mind. Might even now, at Reggies lowest Bud had stuck around despite the hurtles.

“There is no return policy on my love. It can withstand anything, guaranteed!”

“I love you too"

**Author's Note:**

> Nod to (the fictonal) Hanahaki Disease which was an inspiration for this fic. What Bushroot suffers from is similar in aesthetic but is not caused by unrequited love.


End file.
